Automated coin depository with dual signal



United States Patent Jack Miller [72] inventor Primary ExaminerSamuel F. Coleman 1410 20th St., Miami Beach, Florida 33145 Attorney-John Cyril Malloy [21] Appl. No. 792,426 [22] Filed Jan. 21,1969 [45] Patented Nov. 3,1970 ABSTRACT: A device for use in the playing of public games of chance such as Bingo" which is adapted to substantially shorten the time period between each individual game. in games of this nature wherein the players pay for each individual game just prior to the start thereof, each player will be provided with an automated coin depository of the instant invention which is in the form of an enclosed box having a [54] AUTOMATED COIN DEPOSITORY WITH DUAL coin slide for the reception of a specific coin and an indicator SIGNAL light to be illuminated when the player, after deciding to par- 16 Claims, 10 Drawing Flgs ticipate in the following game, injects the coin into the box to complete a first electric circuit to said indicator light. A plu- UQS. Cl. rality of coin d eposito -ies one in front of each player are 31'. 607i 5/00 ranged in aligned banks along each side of each table and the of Search 55, devices in each bank are interconnected to be pe -able collec- 16311165) 9 tively, by an attendant stationed at one end of the table, to break the first circuit to extinguish the indicator lights on the [56] References Cited coin depositories in front of all participating players and to UNITED STATES PATENTS simultaneously complete a second circuit on the devices in 1,056,147 3/1913 Browne l94/92X front of all players who did not inject specific coins therein, to 1,758,330 5/1930 Osborne 194/9 illuminate the indicator lights thereon. The indicator lights il- 2,088,253 7/1937 Williams et al. 194/9 luminated by the second circuit remain on until the game is 2,302,821 11/1942 Walton l94/92X completed to indicate those persons not participating and 2,641,473 6/1953 Stalter 194/92X therefore ineligible for a prize at the completion of the game.

g a a were a a a a a 0 8 o o o 0 54 o g o an 5 o o o o 1 0 f 3 D D O O O O O 1 Bo E0 E0 Bo Bo Ho Ho 5 Patented Nov. 3, 1970 3,537,561

Sheet 1 of 4 :0: R v N g o' 9 m V v i n\ fiv v s N i u s O o w r 0 7 E9210 o v g w t 3 I v zi mo o 0. K Om m t W" o 0 can us 0 Kg y g m a fi o m INVENTOR.

vJ/qCK MILLER m 0 Patented Nov. 3, 1970 I 3,537,561

Sheet 2, 014

INVENTOR. (1 4C K MILLER W WQY Patented Nov. 3; 1 970 J/FC/F MILLER HTTORNEX AUTOMATED COIN DEPOSITORY WITH DU AL SIGNAL The present invention pertains to an automated coin depository for use in connection with public operated games of chance, such as Bingo". Bingo games are operated on a large scale by many religious, charitable and civic organizations and in some states of the UnitedStates ona commercial basis.

Many of these games are conducted in a'manner in which each participant. pays for each succeeding game between games, and this is very time consuming andrequires a considerable number of attendants to receive the money, make change and pass out playing cards. It has been found that the automated coin depository of the instant invention cuts the between games time to a point where the actual number of individual games played in an alloted period of time can be more than doubled.

.changing hands during or between games. As an example, if

the games are conducted wherein each participant plays two cards in each game forZS", the desired number ofquarters will be obtained vby each participant at a cashier's booth before the startof the games and prize winners will be issued an appropriate card or slip of paper to be cashed after the games are completed. A plurality of cards can be provided in a box in front of each participant to allow them to make their own selection and to change cards if desired as the games progress.

An attendant at each end of each table can observe that eachparticipant is playing no more than the alloted number of cards at one time.

When the participants have selected their cards and the game is about to commence, each person places one of the specific coins in a coin slide in the coin depository before him and injects it into an inner chamber therein. The coin slide remains locked in its inner position and completes a first electric circuit to illuminate an indicator light on the top of the device. The illuminated indicator lights permit the attendants to visually observe the number of participants for the next game. It is preferred to limit the time given the players to decideon participating in the next game by having the number caller call the first number. After the first number is called an attendant at the end of each bank of aligned, interconnected coin depositories pulls on an operating rod or the like which is connected to the mechanism of the end coin depository. The mechanism in the coin depositories is designed to turn off the indicator light on every coin depository into which the specific coin has been injected and to simultaneously illuminate the indicator light on each coin depository that did not receive the coin. Therefore, the lights on the coin depositories of nonparticipants only remain on during the actual playing time.

It has been found that, generally, very few and often no one fails toparticipate in each individual game, and, as it is preferable to provide batteries as the source of power for the indicator lights,a very substantial savings is accomplished in battery replacements over the cost of replacements that would be necessary if the indicator lights of the actual participants in each game remained on during the entire playing time.

House power could be used; however, as the rooms or halls where such games are played are generally used for other purposes part of the time, the automated coin depositories are generally removed after the games are completed and reinstalled before the next games, and the labor required for wiring and unwiring would be .very substantial. In installations where the room or ball is used exclusively for the games, however, it may be preferable to use house wiring. t

It is, therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a means to greatly increase the number of individual gamessuch as Bingo that can be played in an alloted periodof time. r

It is a further object of the invention to eliminate the necessity of the attendants to handle money between games to very substantially shorten the period of time between individual games.

Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a visual indication to *the attendants at such games of the number of participants for each succeeding game before the game commences and to similarly indicate the nonparticipants as the game commences and proceeds to its end.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of automated coin depositories that are easily installed in aligned banks facing respective sides of each table with the individual devices of each bank being readily interconnected to permit them to be collectively operated by a single attendant stationed at one end of a table.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tamper-proof container for the coins injected therein yet which is easily opened by authorized personnel to remove said coins.

A further object is to provide means to reject undersized coins and to prevent operation of the coin slide without a coin.

Another object of the invention is to provide electric circuits completely contained within each unit which are very simple and utilize the mechanical parts thereof as their principal components.

A still further object of the instant invention is to provide an automated coin depository which is light, compact and durable and whichis easily installed and removed as a self contained unit to be easily transported from one game site to another.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of two rows of the automatic coin depositories of the instant invention as they are positioned when in use;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a single automated coin depository;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the base portion of the automated coin depository, the cover portion being removed, illustrating in detail the portion of the mechanism mounted thereon;

FIG. 4 is a plan view looking into the open bottom of the cover portion, the cover being removed from and rotated clockwisely to an upside down position relative to the base portion of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3 with the cover portion in place on the base portion;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3 with the cover portion in place on the base portion;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGS. 9 and 10 are schematic illustrations of the operating and electrical conductive parts of the automated coin depository of the present invention illustrating the sequence of operation thereof.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like or similar parts throughout the various views, the numeral 10 generally indicates the housing of the automated coin depository of the present invention. The housing 10 is composed generally of a base portion 12 and a cover portion 14 comprising a top wall 16 spaced from the base 10, front and back walls 18 and 20, and a pair of side walls 22 and 24. As best illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the front, back and side walls form a skirt extending downwardly from the top wall 16 and combine therewith to form an enclosed interior chamber 26 when the cover portion 14 is positioned on the base portion 12. Referring to FIG. 2, the top wall 16 includes a generally rectangular opening 28 therein, an indicator light 30 and a lock means 32 to prevent separation of the cover portion from the base portion by unauthorized persons.

Generally, the coin depository of the instant invention incorporates a coin slide 34 movable from a first position to a second position upon insertion therein of a specific coin to complete a first circuit, to be described in detail subsequently, from a pair of batteries 36 to illuminate the indicator light 30. A swinging latch arm 38, FIG. 9, is incorporated to complete the first circuit and to engage and hold the coin slide 34 in its second position until a longitudinal control slide plate 40 is actuated by a game attendant. Actuation of said control slide from a retracted to an extended position, FIG. 10, simultaneously pushes the latch arm 38 from engagement with the coin slide, breaking the first circuit, and provides means in the form of an insulated lug 42, FIG. 10, to hold the coin slide in its second position.

However, if the player using the coin depository does not wish to participate in a particular game and consequently does not insert the coin to actuate the coin slide 34 to its second position, the first circuit is not completed. When the control slide is actuated by the attendant with the coin slide in its first position, a second circuit, to be described in detail subsequently, is completed to illuminate the indicator light to signify. to the attendant that the player is not in that particular game.

Referring to FIG. 1 which illustrates diagrammatically a typical installation of a plurality of automated coin depositories as they would be used in conjunction with a commercially operated bingo game. Such games are usually conducted in large halls with rows of long tables with players seated along both sides of each table. The numeral 44 indicates a table of the type generally used with two banks of aligned coin depositories 46 and 48 of the instant invention positioned adjacent to and facing respective sides of the table. Each of the coin depositories is bolted or otherwise fixed to the table through the holes 50 and 52, FIG. 3.

In the installation illustrated in FIG. I, an attendant would be stationed at each end of the table to manipulate the control slides of the respective rows of coin depositories. The control slides of each coin depository of each bank are interconnected by links 54 with one end coin depository in each bank being provided with a control rod 56 attached to the control slide thereof, extending outwardly therefrom and including a hand or finger grip 58 on its outer distal end.

In use, a player is seated in front of each of the coin depositories and when an attendant such as the game number caller announces that a game is going to start, each player desiring to participate in that particular game inserts a proper coin in the coin slide of the coin depository before him and injects it into the depository. As previously described, this will complete a first circuit, illuminating the indicator light on each coin depository receiving a proper coin. After a certain alloted period of time, the game would commence with the calling of the first number. After the first number is called, the attendant at the end of each bank of coin depositories will take the grip 58 and pull to actuate the interconnected control slides of every coin depository in his bank. As previously described, the actuation of the control slide of each coin depository breaks the first circuit and extinguishes the indicator light of the coin depository in front of each game participant. Simultaneously, the second circuit will be completedon the coin depository in front of each player who did not inject a proper coin therein, and the indicator light of each of said coin depositories will be illuminated and the attendants made aware of those ineligible ,to collect a game prize.

Therefore, in brief, each coin depository includes two circuits, the first of which illuminates an indicator light on the coin depository of each eligible participant to inform the attendants of the number of actual participants in each game prior to the start thereof. This first circuit is completed upon injection of a proper coin. The second circuit is completed in the coin depositories of ineligible players by the actuation of the control slide by the attendants, the first circuit being simultaneously broken in the coin depositories of the eligible participants.

This system of providing two circuits for the illumination of the indicator lights of nonparticipants only while the game is being played effects a very substantial savings in battery replacements over a period of time. It is desirable to provide an indication to the attendants prior to the game of the number of participants in each game; however, the indicator lights of the participants remain illuminated generally for a brief period of a few seconds whereas the indicator lights of nonparticipants remain on throughout each individual game. It has been observed that generally there are very few and often no nonparticipants among large gatherings in games of this type.

In more detail, the housing cover 14 is fixed to the base portion by a plurality ofmale hook members 60, (see FIG. 7) fixed to the underside of the top wall 16 by rivets 61. The hook members 60 extend downwardly to be engaged through female slots 62 provided in upward projections 64 of the base portion 12. The cover portion 14 is positioned on the base by inserting the hooks 60 through the slots 62 and sliding the cover toward the right as the assembly appears in FIG. 7.

The lock means 32, FIGS. 2 and 8, preferably comprises a conventional barrel type lock incorporating a swinging lock arm 66 interior of the chamber 26 which is adapted to be swung, by key means, not shown, into abutting engagement with an upward projection 68 of the base member 12. This abutting engagement prevents movement of the cover portion 14 to the left to disengage the hooks.

With reference now to FIGS. 4 and 6, the coin slide 34 includes the slide bar 70 with an upturned finger grip portion 72 and a coin receiving aperture 74, both being accessible through the opening 28in the top wall 16 of the cover portion 14 of the housing. The slide bar 70 is slidably received in a coin slide guide plate 76 which is fixed to the underside of the top wall 16 of the cover 14, preferably by rivets 78. An undersize coin rejection hole 80 in the bottom web 82 of the guide plate is positioned just forward of and in alignment with the coin receiving aperture 74. This hole is sized to prevent injection into the coin depository of undersized coins and permits such coins to drop into a compartment 84 immediately thereunder, said compartment being partitioned from a compartment 86 by means of a'wall 88. The compartment 86 receives the specific coins from the coin slide as it approaches its second position.

With further reference to FIGS. 4 and 6, a rejection spring 90 is positioned just forward of the undersize coin rejection hole and provides a foot portion 92 under constant spring ten sion against the bottom of the coin slide bar 70 through an aperture 94 in the web 82 of the guide plate 76. If the coin slide bar 70 is actuated without a coin, its motion is arrested before reaching its second position by the foot portion 92 which falls through the coin aperture 74 and forms an abutment for the trailing edge 96 thereof. Therefore, a proper coin must be in the coin aperture 74 before the coin slide bar 72 can complete its stroke.

The forward or leading end of the coin slide bar 70 is provided with a downwardly turned projection 98 which is adapted to engage a shoulder 100 of the pivoted latch arm 38 at the terminus of its stroke, to hold the coin slide bar 70 in saidsecond position. A biasing spring 104 normally holds the coin slide bar in its first position and also returns said bar to this position when it is released at the end of each game. The latch arm is pivoted to the upward projection 68 of the base portion 12 as at 106 and is normallyspring biased to its latching position by means of a spring 108. A lug 110 struck upwardly from .a guide rail 112 of the control slide plate 40 normally positions the latch arm 38 for engagement by the coin slide bar projection 98 with a cam surface 114 of the latch arm 38, as it approaches its second position. In this manner, the latch arm 38 is moved against the biasing forces of the spring 108 until the projection 98 passes the shoulder 100 at which time it becomes engaged by means of said spring biasing forces, (see FIG. 9).

When the coin slide bar 70 has received a proper coin and moved from its first position to its second position and becomes engaged by the shoulder 100 of the latch arm 38 as just described, the first circuit is completed in the following manner to illuminate the indicator light 30.

The batteries 36 are appropriately mounted in the base portion 12 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5 with one terminal thereof in contact with a conductor member 120 which is fixed as by the screw 122 to the guide all 112 to conduct the current to a conductor pad 124, F168. 3 and 6, which is fixed to the guide rail 112 adjacent the swinging end 126 of the latch arm 38. A downwardly turned projection 128 on the end 126 contacts the conductor pad 124 when the latch arm 38 is in its latched position to conduct the current therethrough to the coin slide bar 70 which in turn conducts the current to the coin slide guide plate 76. The guide plate carries one end of a conductor wire 130 fixed thereto as by the rivet 132. The other end of the wire is fixed to one terminal 134 of the indicator light and the circuit is completed back to the batteries by the other terminal 136 thereof which is adapted to engage a conductor 138 fixed to the base portion 12 when the cover portion 14 is mounted in place thereon. The conductor 138 is fixed as by screws 140 to a conductor 142 which contacts one terminal of a battery 36as shown in FIGS. 3, 9 and 10.

with reference to F 16$. 3 and 6, the control slide plate 40 is slidably mounted in a pair of opposed grooves 150 and 152 and is'held in place by the guide rail 112 and a second similar guide rail 153 which are fixed to the base by screws 154. A biasing spring 156 fixed between the trailing end of the control slide plate 40 and the base 12 normally holds the control slide in its retracted position. The upstanding insulated lug 42 adjacent the leading end of the control slide is'struck from the control slide providing an aperture 158 for the reception of 1 the hooked end 160 of the attendant's control rod 56 in the end coin depository of each bank, FIG. 1. The interconnecting links 54 between the adjacent, aligned coin depositories in each. bank include hooks 162 at their respective ends, the hook on one .end being engaged through an aperture 164 adjacent the trailing end of a controlslide plate in one coin depository with the other end hook 162 being in engagement with the aperture 158 adjacent the leading end of the control slide in the next coin depository. in this manner, the control slide plates in every coin depository in one bank are interconnected and actuated when the attendant pulls the control rod As illustrated in FIG. 5, the control rod 56 includes a detent notch 166 positioned therealong to hold the control slide plates 40 in their extended positions when said detent notch 166 is engaged over the edge 168 of a plate 170. Therefore, when one game is completed, the attendant moves the control rod upwardly to disengage the detent notch 166 from the edge 168 and the control slide plates 40 and coin slide bars 70 of every coin depository in the bank return to their retracted and first positions respectively by means of the biasing springs 108 and 104.

When the attendant operates the control rod 56in his bank, the second circuit will be completed to light the indicator light 30 on the coin depository in front of every player ineligible to participate in the commencing game. This is accomplished by the contact of the leading edge 172 of the control slide 40 with a spring finger portion 174 of a conductor member 176 fixed tozthe base 12 by a screw 177. A second spring finger 178 of the conductor member 176 extends upwardly to be engaged by one of the metal hook members 60, FIG. 6, when the cover portion 14 is in position on the base portion 12. Referring to FIGS. 4, 9 and 10, a conductor wire 180 has one end thereof fixed to the hook member 60 by one of the rivets 61, and its other end fixed to a conductor 182 fixed to the underside of the coin slide guide plate 76 by a rivet 184. An insulation block 186 is interposed therebetween. A downwardly projection portion 188 of the conductor 182 is adapted to engage the downwardly tuned projection 98 on the leading edge of the coin slide bar 70 throughout a range of movement thereof extending from its first position to a position where movement thereof is stopped by engagement of the rejection spring finger 92 with the trailing edge 96 of the coin aperture 74.

The second circuit is, therefore, completed to illuminate the indicator light on the coin depository of every ineligible player in everybank of coin depositories when the attendants operate the control rods as described. The circuit is completed from the batteries, conductor member 120, guide rail 112, control slide plate 40, fingers 174 and 178 of conductor 176 to the hook member 60, conductor wire 180, projection 188 of conductor 182, to the projection 98 of coin slide 70, to the coin slide guide plate 76 and the indicator light to the batteries 36, through wire in the same manner as in the first circuit. As the second circuit is being completed in the coin depositories of the ineligible players, the first circuit is broken in the coin depositories of the eligible players by the insulated lug 158 which contacts the latcharm 38 andswings it on its pivot until the projection 128 thereof breaks contact with the conductor pad 124. As the insulated lug 42 moves toward its extended position to break the first circuit, it also becomes engaged behind the downwardly turned projection 98 of the coin slide '70 to maintain said slide in its second position until the game is over and the control rod is released by the attendant.

lclaim: 1. An automated coin depository for providing a visual indication, to an attendant at a public game of chance such as Bingo", of the playing status of a player for each individual game as determined by the insertion or noninsertion into said depository of a specific coin prior to each game, comprising:

A. a housing providing an enclosed interior chamber and including: 1. an indicator light visible exteriorly of said housing; and 2. an opening in said top wall of said housing; B. a coin slide bar slidably fixed in said chamber and being movable from a first to a second position and including: 1. an aperture in said coin slide bar for the reception of a specific coin; and

2. a manual operating means for said coin slide bar being accessible along with said aperture from the exterior of said housing through said opening;

C. latch means to hold said coin slide bar in said second position; i

D. an electric power source in said chamber to provide electric current to complete a first circuit to illuminate said indicator light if said coin slide is latched in said second position; and.

E. a control slide plate within said chamber and operable from the exterior of said housing from a retracted to an extended position to complete a second circuit to simultaneously illuminate said indicator light, if said coin slide bar is in said first position and to break said first circuit to extinguish said indicator light if said coin slide bar is in said second position.

2. A plurality of automated coin depositories as in claim 1 which are arranged in an aligned bank and including link means interconnecting said control slide plates of said plurality and an operating means connected to the control slide plate of one end automated coin depository of said bank and extending exteriorly thereof whereby said control slide plates in every one of said plurality are operated to an extended position simultaneously to complete said second circuit in every automated coin depository in said bank wherein said coin slide bar is in said first position, and to break said first circuit in every automated coin depository in said bank wherein said coin slide bar is in said second position.

3. An automated coin depository as in claim 1 in which said housing is formed of an electric insulating material such as a high impact plastic.

4. An automated coin depository as in claim 3 in which said housing comprises a base portion and a cover portion detachably engaged with said base portion and being composed of a top wall spaced from said base portion and a plurality of side walls comprising a skirt extending between said top wall and said base portion to form said interior chamber in said housing.

5. An automated coin slide depository as in claim 4 includ ing a lock means to prevent removal of said cover portion from said base portion by unauthorized persons.

6. An automated coin depository as in claim 5 in which said cover portion includes a plurality of male hook members fixed to and extending downwardly from the underside of the top wall thereof, and said base portion includes a like plurality of companionately spaced female slots which form shoulders thereunder, each of said hook members being adapted to be engaged through a respective female slot when said cover portion is properly placed on said base portion, a subsequent sidewise movement of said cover portion relative to said base portion in a first direction being adapted to engage said hook members under said shoulders, removal of said cover portion from said base portion thereafter being possible only by a sidewise movement thereof in a second direction which is opposed to said first direction of movement.

7. An automated coin depository as in claim 6 in which said lock means comprises a barrel type lock mounted in said top wall of said cover portion including, a conventional key slot accessible from the outside of said housing for the reception of a conventional key, and a lock bar interior of said chamber swingable by said key from an unlocked position to a locked position wherein said lock bar engages said base portion in a manner to prevent sidewise movement of the cover portion relative to said base portion in said second direction of movement.

8. An automated coin depository as in claim 1 including a mounting guide plate for said coin slide bar which is fixed to the underside of said cover portion as by rivets.

9 An automated coin depository as in claim 8 in which said coin slide bar includes rejection means to prevent movement thereof from said first to second position without said specific coin in said aperture.

10. An automated coin depository as in claim 9 in which said mounting guide plate includes an opening therein which is sized and positioned relative to the aperture in said coin slide bar to permit an undersized coin placed in said aperture to drop therethrough into said interior chamber, said rejection means operating to prevent movement of said coin slide bar to said second position thereafter in the same manner as when no coin is inserted in said aperture.

11. An automated coin depository as in claim 1 in which said latch means comprises an electric current conductive latch arm pivotable from said latching position to an unlatching position and said coinslide bar is constructed of an electric current conductive material to complete said first circuit to illuminate said indicator light when said latch arm is in latching engagement with said coin slide bar.

12. An automated coin depository as in claim 11 in which said coin slide bar includes a downwardly turned leading edge and said control slide plate includes an upturned, insulated lug which is adapted to contact and pivot said latch arm to said unlatched position to break said first circuit when said control slide plate is operated from its retracted to its extended position, said insulated lug simultaneously passing in back of said downwardly turned leading edge of said coin slide bar to hold same in said second position.

13. An automated coin depository as in claim 12 in which said control slide plate is of an electric current conductive material, and an electric current conductive linger is positioned to make contact with the leading edge of said control slideplate when in said extended position to complete said second circuit to illuminate said indicator light if said coin slide bar is in any position from said first position and the position in which it is stopped by said rejection means.

14. An automated coin depository as in claim 13 including an elongate electric current conductive contact member which is adapted to contact the downwardly turned leading edge of said coin slide bar, the length of said elongate conductive contact member determining the amount of travel of said coin slide bar from said first position during which said second circuit can be completed.

15. An automated coin depository as in claim 2 in which said operating means extending exteriorly of said housing includes a detent mean to hold said control slide plates in said extended positions.

16. An automated coin depository as in claim 15 in which the coin slide bar, the latch means and the control slide plate each include biasing springs to return said coin slide bar to said first position, the latch means to its latching position and the control slide plate to its retracted position when the detent means of said operating means is released. 

